Balie Farrier Services

A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof and the placing of shoes to the horse's foot. A farrier couples a subset of the blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with a subset of veterinary medicine (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to address the care of the horse's feet.

At one time, the jobs of farrier and blacksmith were all but synonymous. Today, farriers usually specialize in horseshoeing, focusing their time and effort on the care of the horse's foot. For this reason farriers and blacksmiths are considered to be in separate trades.

A farrier's routine work is primarily hoof trimming and shoeing. In ordinary cases it is important to trim each hoof so that it retains its proper orientation to the ground. If the animal has a heavy work load, works on abrasive footing, needs additional traction, or has pathological changes in the foot, then shoes may be required.

Additional tasks for the farrier include dealing with injured and/or diseased hooves and application of special shoes for racing, training or "cosmetic" purposes. Horses with certain diseases or injuries may need remedial procedures for their hooves, or need special shoes.

Services

• Cold and corrective shoeing
• Shoeing with balanced trimming.
• I recommend that all of my clients horses be kept on a 6-8 week schedule in order to maintain the healthiest hooves. The goal of regular farrier work is to maintain balance rather than change the hooves drastically each time which puts strain on tendons and ligaments.

My name is Zean Balie.  Horses are my passion and it is my goal to perform a safe and effective trim on your horse to help obtain balance and comfort.